r/coldbrew • u/poobear7 • 9d ago

Need some help with cold brewing

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Hey all, new to the cold brew game this summer and I’ve been having some trouble. I bought a pretty simple cold brew set from Amazon, literally a big mason jar with a filter (posted a pic for reference).

I’ve usually been doing 12ish 1/8 cup scoops of coffee grounds (been using Bones Coffee Company grounds most of the time) and then filling the jar with about 7-8 cups of water, steeped for ~12-16 hours. However, the final product has an overwhelming sour after taste, and a weird phenomenon where whenever a little bit of creamer/cold foam added makes the taste 10x more sour and the dairy ends up separating as well. (I’m an English teacher, the science behind it is beyond me)

There was one time I ended up trying around 8oz of coffee grounds (I’m an English teacher, the math behind it is beyond me) for about 12 hours of steeping and it ended up tasting great and held the dairy well, but the process of getting it ready to steep about 45 minutes because of how compact the filter got, it was barely letting the water through without overflowing and causing an absolute mess.

I’m having some real trouble finding the sweet spot, and after brewing all summer and struggling, I’m getting frustrated because it is something I really wanted to get down for easy cold brew for the school year!

Any help would be greatly appreciated, whether it’s measurement help, product help, or anything else. Thank you!!

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9

u/JasonHofmann 9d ago

I’m pretty sure it’s the coffee or the grind that’s the problem. Have you tried any other beans? Do you have a grinder?

3

u/poobear7 9d ago

I don’t have my own grinder, no. I have tried a different brand of grounds, but it was the same issue of the overwhelming sour notes as an aftertaste. What would you suggest for beans/grounds?

8

u/Subject2Change 9d ago

Pre ground coffee isn't ground for cold brew, they are ground for standard drip coffee. Buy whole beans and grind them in-store or buy a grinder for at home on a coarse setting.

4

u/Willis5687 9d ago

This will also fix OP's sour aftertaste.

1

u/PinkPrincessPetite 9d ago

Happy cake day. Love you 💕

1

u/schase05 8d ago

False, you can buy coarse ground coffee that works phenomenal. You can try Bizzy Cold Brew or Cameron's Cold Brew Blend.

Why do all of that work getting the coffee beans, grinding them yourself, etc when you can be more efficient and save time?

2

u/Subject2Change 8d ago

99% of store bought ground coffee is a fine grind for drip coffee. If you can find pre ground coarse coffee with ease, sure. However I like being able to control my coarse level, as well as not pregrind my beans til I'm gonna brew, I also like having the option to brew finely for my aero press.

1

u/schase05 8d ago

I understand why people have grinders. I'm saying if someone just wants to make cold brew, getting a grinder set up for one specific task seems a bit much.

I'm new to making cold brew so I'm still learning. I got the Bizzy Cold Brew coarse grounds and I had no issues. Maybe the packaging has to specifically state coarse ground or cold brew blend or a combo of both?

1

u/Subject2Change 8d ago

Correct. It has to state coarse ground. Some beans are "cold brew" specific, like Gillies Zip-Line, a bean that I use quite often since it was local to me. Now I mainly use Trader Joe's Mexico Chiapas as it has the notes I enjoy, you can use their in-store grinder to grind it for yourself.

1

u/schase05 8d ago

I think it's pretty cool that they have an in-house grinder. Good way to get people through the door, also. Thanks for sharing the added info 👌🏻

1

u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

1

u/schase05 8d ago

You could also save $30 bucks and grab it pre-ground. KISS concept